Pittwater Offshore Newsletter-December 2004

It is the end of a long day and week, but I had to send you this message of congratulations in case your heads were not already exploding, which they deserve to be, (I hope you are invigorated and not too exhausted) as I feel it was the most fantastic day for everyone who was there in the park today and especially tonight Emmie.. Great music, great art, great vibrations, great weather, thank god (whichever one). What a fantastic parade, the most marvellous finale to a wonderful community event. It is a long time since I have felt these good vibrations of

community spirit. (I have been here and active in all aspects of the community since 1976) There was so much to see and do. I wished I could have participated in many more activities, but being a stall holder I did enjoy meeting many different people, residents and visitors to the Island, everyone with a smile on their face, in this our earthly paradise.
What a great day was had by all and sundry, and You, (capital Y) Claire and Emmie and all your delegates, workers, helpers, hangers on and performers made it happen. Oh to be young again in years, but in spirit and a just slightly wrinkly body, I am with you !!!
The Art Exhibition has been a great success. Not since the original "Art from Overseas Exhibition" at the Tramshed in Narrabeen many years ago can I recall such a great response to us "off shore artists" of many incredible talents
I enjoyed the late nights, lack of sleep and early mornings and being part of the whole event. Thank your for your commitment to our local community. I look forward to being part or your next happening, and I am sure there will be many others to join your local Band.
June xxx

Hundreds of photos were taken of the people and the surroundings at the Scotland Island Fair of October 31st. A selection of 400+ can be seen by visiting: www.scotlandisland.org.au/fair2004 or by clicking here
A very special thanks to Hubert for providing these images. Warning: They will only stay on the website for 30 days, due to the great volume! Enjoy. Note: If you have attempted to view these photos earlier in the month, have another go! I have optimised the page considerably in the last few days.

When next your vehicle's tyres are thumping along the concrete stretches of Pittwater Road on the long and winding trek from Sydney Harbour to the Lorelei temptations of Scotland Island, consider the never flagging curiosity of Captain Phillip to find a path to Pittwater.

On June 7, 1789, he sent Captain Collins, Captain Johnson, Surgeon White and a small party of men from the good ship Sirius "all armed with muskets" to set out from the north coast of Port Jackson to "find a parth to Pittwater".
Having left Port Jackson at 6 a.m., "they proceeded along the sea coast to the north" and arrived at Pittwater at 3 p.m. "after a long and fatiguing journey" (Some S.I.residents can identify with that} They saw some natives and called to them in their own manner "co-wee" which signified , they said, "come here"., Captain Collins had ordered the boats to take provisions round by water so that they might stay some days, which they did and they then returned to their ship , again on foot, leaving the boats behind in Pittwater.

Their journey back was extremely tiring and, when they reached the north part of Port Jackson , they found the path they had followed led them to a place where "the North-West Harbour lay between us and the ship" and they "might as well have been fifty leagues from her". At last they found a canoe which had been hidden by the natives and tried to cross the North West Harbour but it "upset and went to the bottom". They tried to build a catamaran which also sank .

A letter from one of the party named Hunter recorded t hat "the last march had torn all but the soals from my feet". They were now desperate for food for they had left supplies in Pittwater and Hunter was determined to struggle back accompanied by Captain Collins. Then one man proposed that they should try to swim across and they started "after each having a dram".
They tied their clothes in bundles and placed them on their heads and so "reached the opposite shore" . One of the party, seized with cramp, had to literally drop his bundle .and at last, after an adventurous swim , reached the Sirius. Only one of the party was still clothed and the others "perfectly naked".

This art show was part of the Scotland Island 2004 festival and was a huge success! Hundreds of paintings and other objects were exhibited and a large number were sold. The Mayor of Pittwater, Lynne Czinner opened the show in the presence of a good number of residents. A marvellous supper was provided together with copious quantities of the finest wine!

The photos below are of the Mayor, Lynne Czinner and president of SIRA, Shar Jones and local island resident Annette Ritchie with Lynne Czinner

As to the results...

37 Artists exhibited over 85 pieces and 17 of the Artists sold a total of 33 pieces - a very good result.

The silent Auction of panels donated by the artists raised $1,860.00 ($590 for Oxfam - $1065 for the Kindy and $205 for the firies - Each Artist indicated which charity they wanted to donate the monies to)

The Artists talks were fascinating and of course also very successful with over 120 people attending over the 6 days., . Next time we will schedule some in the evenings so more people (those who work during the day) can attend

All those who missed the Scotland Island Festival will have to wait two years for another such treat. Emmy Collins and Claire Atkins are totally exhausted.

The music, art, performances, dancing, stalls, and talks with creative locals were really top-notch and on Sunday evening there was a fantastic candle light procession led by the Island children. Thanks to Claire, Emmy and all the others who helped make this month-long celebration such a success.

1. The Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than the British, Americans, Australians or Kiwis.

2. The French eat a lot of fat and also suffer fewer heart attacks than the British, Americans, Australians or Kiwis.

3. The Japanese drink very little red wine and suffer less heart attacks than the British, Americans, Australians or Kiwis.

4. Italians drink excessive amounts of red wine and also have fewer heart attacks than the British, Americans, Australians or Kiwis.

5. Germans drink a lot of beer and eat lots of sausages and fats and suffer fewer heart attacks than the British, Americans, Australians or Kiwis.

CONCLUSION
Eat and drink what you like - speaking English is apparently what kills you.

The Scotland Island Ballet Group

proudly presents it's Annual Christmas Presentation of The Nutcracker Ballet
in the Community Hall on Sunday 5 December 2004 at 5.00pm

More information by clicking here

Following the performance there will be a party for children, so please bring a plate
The Scotland Island Ballet Group

Entry is a gold coin

Whether you are new to the Island or an old-timer, come along and share in this enchanting community experience performed by the Island's budding ballerinas and choreographed by our own amazing “living treasure”, Trudi Engler

The DVD and the video is now available!

12 years of highlights of the Scotland Island Players compiled into 22 minutes

See the faces, hear the music, cringe at the jokes!

PLUS, on the same DVD you’ll get the entire CARAVAN play, performed by Nettie, Mark, Tracey, Paul, John and Jessica in October this year.

For your copy contact Boyd on 0417 991 499 – you can pick up a copy on the Island or at the Point.
DVD’s $20, Videos $30

Pittwater Rowing Club Inaugural Meeting

9am, Sunday December 12, 2004
Launch your scull, skiff or other kind of rowing shell!
Meet at Tennis Wharf, Scotland Island and row to Treharne Cove.
Contact Juha Havukainen 9999-4771 or Katie Wilson 9979-1384.

My name is Tristan Lange and I am currently living in a somewhat cold and wet Ireland. I have lived in Sydney between 1996 - 2000 and married an Australian Girl. At this stage we are committed to returning to Sydney and will be buying a property on Scotland Island as the lifestyle and beauty seem second to none. I have already visited the Island and will be back again this Christmas just to try and find out more about living on the Island as we hope to move across early next year.

I presume that there are plenty of people who have moved to the Island and as I will be moving from Ireland with my wife and two Labradors is there anybody out there who can provide some advice that will make the transition a bit easier. Hindsight is a great thing and if other people have experiences they would like to share I would really appreciate it. My email address is tlange2@csc.com

Thanking you in advance and I look forward to moving to this community

Thanks for giving me the opportunity to write about the brushtail possums on the island. Here as follows the web links providing excellent information in regard to common problems with possums:

Recently I’ve been back to the island for a 3rd check on the local brushtail possum population. I’ve been trying to recapture microchipped possums to monitor their survival, health and number of offspring. Possums are territorial and once they’re adult stay within a small area which enables me to recapture them. Maybe you have lately noticed that the females carry a young on their back, a so-called backrider? Now is the time for the young possums to find a new home. Brushtails unfortunately have the habit to take up residence in accessible house cavities, their favourite is the roof and they may also enjoy a variety of garden plants.

If you don’t want to

encourage possums around your place, make sure, your house is well-maintained and possums can’t get access to it. Ever wondered, why the food from the bird-feeder is gone in the morning, or old fruits are missing from the compost bin? Make sure you possum-proof all sources of non-natural possum food.

Try to patch up an entry hole to the roof at dark after the possum has left your roof. If you have to do major repair work and therefore need to remove a possum from your roof, you’ll need to obtain a license from National Parks. This allows you to trap the possum for one day, but after dark you will have to release the possum back on your property, relocation to a bushland area is not an option anymore since 1998. Reason is that several studies have shown that brushtail possums don’t survive relocation. They are

territorial animals - removed to another area, they encounter competition by resident possums, have no den site, may be naïve to the new environment and are easy prey for foxes – more then 70% of all relocated possums died within the first week in Pietsch’s study (1994)! It is considered cruel to relocate possums from properties and if a roof really can’t be possum-proofed a license for euthanasia of the ‘nuisance’ possum by a vet can be obtained from National Parks. But the non-fixed spot in your roof is likely to attract soon other possums… so trouble may start again.
If you’d like to provide an alternative home for a roof-evicted possum, you could put up a possum nest box and instructions on building a box can be found on the National Parks website (DEH 2004).
There is some excellent information about how to ‘live in harmony with possums’ on the websites of Victoria and Tasmania. Advice how to “possum-proof” house & garden is given and it is worthwhile having a look at them.
If you want to learn more about possums in general, I recommend Anne Kerle’s book.
A big “thank you” to all the islanders who helped me again so much and don’t mind me ‘chasing’ ‘their’ possums.
Jutta (Jutta can be contacted at: jeymann@rna.bio.mq.edu.au

Wanting to Rent
We are a family with 2 young children, excited about moving from Inner Sydney to join the Scotland Island community. We are looking to rent for 12 months while getting our feet (or is that our sea legs?), and would like to hear from anyone who is looking to rent a waterfront home commencing any time from now thru to end January in time for the start of the new school year. We can be flexible to cater for owners school holiday requirements. Willing to pay good rates and actively maintain residence for the right property. Contact Cathy 0410 335 965 on or email cathy@learnaway.com.au.

Wednesday morning yoga on Scotland Island.

If your looking for something to de-stress and aid your fitness consider the Yoga classes held each Wednesday morning from 9.00 – 10.00am in either the Community Centre or outside, depending on the weather. The Yoga might be a bit different from that you have tried before. It is:

• Ki Yoga (sometimes called Oki Yoga) is based on teachings from Oki from Japan
• it links traditional style asanas with Chinese medicine and holistic approach to body, mind, spirit and health

• and works on meridians (same as acupuncture and shiatsu)
• there are similar poses to Hatha yoga, along with shiatsu massages and partner work
• the emphasis on the out breath (elimination)
• and the routines change according to season/ time of day/ state of health.

Wear loose comfortable clothing and bring a thick mat.

The teacher is Anne Palmer who can be contacted on 9999 3478 or 0410 574 531.

New Years Eve @ the Fire Station

The Scotland Island Rural Fire Brigade is delighted to invite members and friends to join in the festivities of New Years Eve at the Station. There will be live music, food, drink and great company and we look forward to seeing you there. Keep an eye out for posters with details (going up soon on a pole near you).

What does Total Fire Ban actually mean??

Total Fire Bans are imposed on days of extreme fire danger, coming into effect from midnight that day and lasting for 24 hours. During a Total Fire Ban, no fires can be lit and permits held are not valid. This includes fires in designated fireplaces, incinerators and barbeques which use solid fuel such as wood or charcoal and stoves that use gas or liquid fuel (such as petrol, shellite or methylated spirits). The use of electric and gas-fire appliances for cooking may be permitted where the appliance is under the direct control of an adult, is located at least 3 metres away from any combustible materials and has an adequate water supply adjacent. For further information on Total Fire Bans and other useful information, call Scotland Island Rural Fire Brigade on 9999 4404 or visit the Rural Fire Service website at www.rfs.nsw.gov.au

As our newsletter continues to grow (nearly 600 readers) we are including some links to other nearby organisations and events that may be of interest. If you would like to contribute, please send a message to the editor by clicking here.

Spread the Word:

The future of this newsletter is in your hands. More than 700 residents and friends read this electronic newsletter monthly. Please tell your friends and neighbours to subscribe. If you are particularly literate in matters computing, you might like to help them follow the very simple path to subscription. It is easy to join. Simply click here to join, leave or change options or go to following address: http://www.scotlandisland.org.au/signup

Finally:

SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION:

The views expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily the views of the Scotland Island Residents Association (SIRA), or any of the associated Pittwater Offshore Resident's Committees